Machine for producing covers and opener lever assemblies



Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

momma FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 IYZ/GZZZ'OK: dams .P w 5 7 did, JM/M Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. I'WHELAN 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND.OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: James Imr M Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 Invenior James}? Wile Zan. 59 {Wt MVM Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Shet 4 I nve nto 2':

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l llu' PM Feb. 3, 1953 momma FOR Filed Feb. 20, 1947 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104 PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES l7 Sheets-Sheet 5 74 7s l L i so I 94 64 86 I I l 1 I I l :1 s 0 o I 80 I nvenior James Whe Zapn H 5 7 4% 4 M41 Feb. 3', 1953 -J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104 MAC INE FORYPRODUCING covERs AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 1'7 Sheets-She t 6 E\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ l2: l k 967% W 86 Invent)? James 1? WZweZqn Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND QPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 L5 JameaEWhe Zan M, .7W rm MM J. P. WHELAN MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEV ER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 l7 Sheets-Sheet 8 I nveni/o a": James I? WheZa/n. by HMJW, M flu J. P. WHELAN Feb. 3', 1953 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 Feb. 3, 1953 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR, PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 J. P. WHELAN l7 Sheets-Sheet 10 um mw mm Invenfio Jams P. Whelan 2 6' 6%,.7M,M f M W difi' 6 Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 Feb. 3, 1953 J. P. WHELAN 2,627,104

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254 7" It, a: 2325i] 254 I l 1' I I I 270 26 25 4 248 w 4 fi am Tl zsz rgg zs zfi T aw I I 1' H d INVENTOR JAMES P. WHELAN ATTORNEY J. P. WH ELAN Feb. 3, 1953 l7 Sheets-Sheet 13 I MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Invenio 2'. Jams 1? WheZan, 6/42, JIM", M MM mwm Filed Feb. 20, 1947 S w a Feb. 3, 1953 P. WHELAN MACHINE FOR PRGJUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER. ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947' 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 sPwnei/a? J. P. WHELAN Feb. 3, 1953 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 1.5

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39 flu- .1. P. WHELAN Feb. 3, I953 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 1712907115502": Jaznesfwheian, a a ,]W, M P M y M 11? 2,62 7,104 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CQVERShAND OPENER LEVER ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 20, 1947 J. P. WH ELAN Feb. 3, 1953 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 uzkqwm .53. 8

HREQQ S kwn QZRQFEMK Patented Feb. 3, 1953 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING COVERS AND OPENER LEVER ASSEIVIBLIES James P. Whelan, Quincy, Mass, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Judson Dunaway Corporation, Dover, N. H, a corporation of New Hampshire Application February 20, 1947, Serial N 0. 729,897

Claims.

This invention relates to the art of and a machine for assembling receptacles, receptacle closures, and closure openers. The assembly of the closures with the openers involves also the forming of slots in the closures to receive the openers, and it further involves the actual making of the openers as well as their assembly with the closures. The art involves various steps to effect these results, and while they might be carried out wholly or largely by operations involving the use of the hands, the invention contemplates also a fully automatic machine to carry out the various steps, and possessing advantages of speed and economy, particularly as. with automatic stops to take care of possible faulty operations, one attendant can tend several machines.

The particular type of receptacle and closure with which the invention is concerned is a can provided with a friction-plug closure forced into the mouth of the can. There are circumstances under which it is desirable to remove the closure frequently to discharge some of the contents of the receptacle from time to time, and under such circumstances it is desirable to have the closure equipped with an opener in the form of a lever which remains attached to the closure and serves as a handle to hold the closure while pouring from the receptacle. The art and th preferred machine for carrying out the steps of the art are concerned with making the levers, forming slots in prefabricated closures, assembling the levers with the closures by inserting the lever in the slots, and finally assembling the closures with the receptacles.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following description of the art or method including its various steps, followed by a description of one particular machine by which the steps may be carried out, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

The art involves starting with a disordered mass of closures, and, as a first step forming an orderly line of closures which are then guided to and loaded into successive holders on a carrier which carries the closures during subsequent steps involving the closures.

The carrier may be for example a turret rotated step-by-step to cause its holders to present a succession of closures at a succession of stations at which various steps are performed. There may be some intermediate stations at which no operations are performed.

Considering now the first work station at which a holder with its closure stops, the step which is performed at this station is the cutting of a slot through an annular wall of the closure. One way of cutting this slot is by the use of a punch and die placed in proper position after the carrier has stopped, and then operated to slot the closure and to recede to a non-operating position before the carrier starts again. Resumption of movement of the carrier brings the now slotted cover to a second work station where the closure is freed of the loose metal produced by the making of the slot. One convenient mode of removal is by the use of a jet of air.

Resumption of movement of the carrier brings the closure to a third work station where an opener in the form of a lever is inserted in the slot. It is convenient to use this second work station as the location for the operation of forming the lever, particularly as the conclusion of this operation conveniently inserts the completed lever into the slot in the closure. The operation of forming the lever involves steps including severing a wire to provide a piece of appropriate length which is then bent into generally U-shaped form with spring arms, provided with V-shaped notches, and terminal portions directed inwardly toward and aligned with each other. When the lever is inserted in the slot in the closure, these notches receive the ends of the slot and retain the lever in its place.

Resumption of movement of the carrier now brings the assembled closure and lever to a fourth work-station where the closure is assembled with the receptacle and the final assembly is released or extracted.

These various steps in the art will be explained more fully in connection with the following description of one particular machine shown in the accompanying drawings as an example, while the invention will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1A' and 1B, taken together, constitute an elevation of a machine for carrying out the various steps;

Figs. 2A and 2B, taken together, constitute a plan of the machine, with the exception of the hopper and its associated mechanism for feeding closures from the hopper to the raceway.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the hopper, the raceway, and the closure feeding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, showing the hopper, the raceway, and a portion of the closure feeding mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale,

on line 55 of Fig. 3, showing the lower portion of the closure feeding mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of the machine, including the two turrets and associated mechanisms;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on line I-I of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on line 88 Of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, showing one of the closure carriers of the first turret;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view on line I0--I 0 of Fig. 6, showing the closure slotting mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on line I I I I of Fig. 10, illustrating a portion of the closure slotting mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view on line I2I 2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view on line I3-I3 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is an elevation of the wire feeding, cutting, and forming mechanism;

Fig. 15 is a plan of a portion of the same;

Fig. 16 is a plan of the entire Wire feeding, cuttin and forming mechanism;

Fig. 1'7 is a vertical sectional view on line II-I'I of Fig. 16 illustrating the wire cutting mechanism;

Figs. 18 to 21, inclusive, are plans of a portion of the wire forming mechanism, illustrating steps in the operation of the same;

Fig. 22 is a section approximately on line 2222 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 23 is a horizontal sectional view of the wire feeding and cutting mechanism;

Fig. 24 is a longitudinal section taken approximately on line 2424 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 25 is a sectional view on line 25--25 of Fig. 23; r i

Fig. 26 is a sectional view on line 26-26 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 27 is a vertical sectional view on line 2'I2I of Fig. 6, illustrating the mechanism which transfers the closure assembly from the first turret to the second turret;

Fig. 28 is a vertical sectional view on line 28- 28 of Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is an elevation of the mechanism which seats the closure assembly in the receptacle;

Fig. 30 is an elevation of a portion of the same in its final position;

Fig. 31 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, showing the assembly of the receptacle, the closure, and the opener;- v

. Fig. 32 is a vertical sectional view on line 32- 32ofFig.3l;and,

Fig.- 33 is a timing chart, showing the cycles of the various mechanisms; l. 1

In accordance with the preferredprocedure, the invention contemplates various steps leading to a final assembly ofa receptacle (see-Figs. 31 and 32) such as a metallic can'50, a closure such as a plug-like metallic cover 52, and a closure opener such as a lever 54. The can has anopening 56 and the cover 52 has a depression 58 surrounded by anannular rim or lip '60 and by a,s1ightly tapered, annular wall 62 which serves as a plug to close the opening. 56. One step ofgthe procedure is to provide this annular wall ,with :a horizontal slot 64. Other steps are concerned with making the lever 54 having ahandleiportion 66 and a. pryin portion 68 conveniently made of half-hard, round wirehaving a resilient quality but nevertheless capable of being bent into the desired form, herein U-shaped, and having two resiliently related arms III which constantly tend to spring apart and thus to cause offset notches I2 in the arms to engage the ends of the slot 64.

The covers, prefabricated except for slotting, are introduced into a hopper 14 (see Fig. 4) in a disorganized mass. The first step in the procedure is to take covers from this mass (bottom side up) and to form them in an orderly line. One convenient way of accomplishing this step will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 4. To cause the covers to gravitate to the center of the hopper I4, the latter has the general form of a hollow inverted pyramid, herein four-sided (though it might be conical) formed by four sloping walls I6 which may be prolonged upwardly by the addition of four vertical walls 18.

One of the sloping walls I6 supports a mechanism, now to be described, which performs the first step of the procedure. A conveyor such as a chain (see Fig. 3) carried by upper and lower sprocket wheels 82 and 84, travelling in the direction of the arrows, is equipped at intervals with special links having lugs 86 which project through a slot 88 in the adjacent wall I6 into the interior of the hopper I4 where, in traveling upward, they enter the depressions 58 of such covers 52 as happen to be presented with their depressions downward and in the paths of the lugs 86. In the present example, the upper sprocket wheel 32 is an idler on a shaft 90 in bearing brackets 92. The lower sprocket wheel 84 (see Fig. 5) isafiixed to a driving shaft 94 turning in pillow blocks 96 and driven non-positively as by mechanism now to be described. A friction disk 98 aflixed to the shaft 94 is contacted by a friction facing Inn on a disk I02 which is aifixed to a driver I04 turning freely on the shaft. A springIIlB, seated at one end against the driver I04 and at its other end against a thrust bearing, urges the friction facing I00 against the friction disk 98. When, therefore, the raceway, presently to be described, is completely occupied by covers, the friction drive will slip but will nevertheless furnish a yielding pressure tending to urge the covers along the raceway toward the outlet of the latter.

Near the top of the hopper (see Fig. 4) opposite sides of the lip 60 of the cover enter grooves H8 which begin in guide plates I I2 and continue in a'raceway II4 (see Fig. 3) which at first slopes downwardly parallel with the descending lead of the chain 80 and then gradually changes its direction until it finally becomes horizontal as shown at the bottom of Fig.3. Thus, the covers are lifted from the hopper with their depressions presented downwardly, and as they pass over the upper sprocket wheel they are inverted, so that when they reach the horizontal portion of the raceway the depressions are uppermost in readiness for the steps which are to follow.

The covers are removed, one by one, from the exit of the raceway (see Fig. 6) by appropriate mechanism such asthat now to be described. Transversely of the raceway exit, there is a slide II 6 arranged to reciprocate horizontally in a guide I I8 under the influence-of a lever I20 swung to and fro on a pivot I22 by acam I24 engaging a roller I26 on the lever. The-slide I I6 is shown in Fig. 6 in its fully advanced position in which it blocks the exit of the raceway I I4. Thelength of. the stroke of the slide is such that when the slide recedes its front end I28 passes beyond the raceway exit and thus admits a cover to the guide H8 in a position where the next forward stroke of the slide will advance the cover along the guide and deliver it to an appropriate carrier presently to be described, which receives successive covers from the slide and presents them at a succession of stations.

The carrier in the present example is an eightposition turret I38 having on its upper face a set of holders I32, herein eight, equally spaced angularly, and each equipped with a detent such as a spring-pressed, rounded pin I34 (see Fig. 9) which engages one side of the cover and keeps the same in place. Step-by-step rotation of the turret I38 about a fixed, upright shaft I36 is conveniently accomplished without shock by a harmonic motion mechanism which may be likened to intermittent worm gearing, comprising a set of rollers I38 (herein eight) successively engaged by a slot I40 of a cylindrical, grooved cam I42. The cam has a long dwell during which work is done on the cover, and has a short throw to produce partial rotation (45) of the turret. Two such steps are required to carry a cover through 90".

Actually, there are eight of these stations though some of them are mere idle positions. The first station may be termed the loading station because this is the position at which the loading slide II6 loads a cover into a holder I32 on the turret. The second station is idle. The third station is a work station where the slotting of the cover is accomplished by mechanism now to be described, reference being had to Fig. 10.

In the present example, the cover slotting mechanism comprises a punch I44 and a die I46, the latter being arranged to enter the depression in the cover prior to the punching operation and to leave the depression upon completion of the punching operation and before the turret starts to turn. To this end, the punch and die, as will presently appear, are parts of an assembly pivoted to rise and fall. The punch is in the nature of a thin, flat blade of the same cross-sectional,

shape and size as the slot to be produced in the cover. The front end of the punch is shaped to produce a shearing cut.

The punch (see Fig. 6) is mounted in and carried by a slide I48 guided by appropriate guides such as rods I56, while the die is mounted in a yoke I52 secured to one pair of ends of said rods. The rods are secured at their other ends to a rocking support I54 which (see Fig. is rocked on a fulcrum I56 carried by frame members as seen at the lower portion of Fig. 2A by appropriate mechanism such as a roller I58 carried by the rocker and engaging a cam I60, and arranged to raise and lower the punch and die in properly timed relation to the turret movements. Reciprocation of the punch slide I48 is accomplished by suitable mechanism such as a lengthwise-adjustable link I62 connecting the slide to a lever I64 mounted on a fulcrum I66 on the same frame members and below I56 viewing Fig. 2A and carrying a roller I68 operated by a cam I10, to cause the punch to enter and leave the die and thus to punch the slot. After the slot has been punched, the punch and die recede upwardly, and as they rise, two vertical, spring-pressed plungers I12 (see Fig. '7) carried by the yoke I52 urge the cover downwardly into its place in the carrier I32 on the turret I38. After these plungers recede from the cover recess, the turret starts to rotate to carry the coverto a fourth station where a jet of compressed air released through a nozzle I14 (see Fig. 6) blows out of the cover recess the piece of waste metal resulting from the punching operation.

Further rotation of the turret brings the cover to a fifth station where a wire is severed to form a short piece which is then bent to form the described lever. The wire feeding and cut-off mechanism will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 2B. In the present example, the wire feeding is accomplished by two one-way wire clutches, one of which reciprocates and on its forward stroke advances the wire the required distance, upwardly viewing Figs. 2A and 16, to the right viewing Fig. 23 as indicated by the arrow, while the other is fixed and prevents backward movement of the wire. The first of these clutches (presently to be described) is carried by a slide I16 guided by guides such as rods I18, while the second is supported by a yoke I86 affixed to said rods. The rods are supported and held in fixed position by having their inner pair of ends secured to a suitable fixed support I82 and their outer pair of ends secured to ears I84 presented by a second fixed support, I86. The slide I16 has a positive rearward movement and a non-positive forward movement under the influence of mechanism now tobe described.

To produce the positive rearward movement the slide I 16 is connected (Fig. 2B) by a link I86 to one end of a lever I88 pivoted at its other end on a fixed pivot I92 and at an intermediate point carrying a cam roller I 96 resting against an open faced cam I98. This rearward movement takes place in opposition to the yielding resistance of a pair of springs I59 (see Figs. 2B and 16) whose forward ends rest against ears 268 on the slide I16, and whose rearward ends rest against ears 28 I presented by the support I86. Forward movement of the slide I16 under the influence of the springs I99 is adjustably limited by nuts 262 threaded on the forward ends of rods 2821' whose rearward ends are fixedly mounted in the ears 2IlI.

The non-positive, forward movement of the slide I16 takes place under the influence of the springs I98, stressed by the open-faced cam I98, and suddenly released by an abrupt drop of the cam face acting like a trigger to propel the slide I16 forward with suflicient force to impart the necessary feeding stroke to the wire-feeding clutch presently to be described. However, if for any reason such as clogging of the wire, the slide I16 could not make its normal, forward stroke, the springs I 99 will yield and prevent disaster to the mechanism.

The clutches will now be described, reference being had to Fig. 23. As already indicated, there is a wire feeding clutch 2&4 carried by slide I16 a fixed, non-return clutch 296 carried by yoke I83, which are identical with the exception of the fact that one reciprocates and the other is fixed as hereinbefore explained. As the clutches are alike, a description of one will suihce for the otherv and corresponding parts will be given like reference characters.

A wire 265, leading from a suitable source of supply, passes through a slidable sleeve 261 and a fixed sleeve 286 between which there is a spring 250 tending to move the slidable sleeve rearwardly. The slidable sleeve 251 carries a set of balls 2I2 which contact the wire 265 as well as an internal, tapered surface 2 Ill presented by a fixed bushing 2I6. During the for- 

